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{No Model.)

0, KREUTZIGER. 'WASHING MACHINE.

No. 559,855. Patented May 12, 1896.

UNITED STATES CHARLES KREUTZIGER, OF lVATERLOO, CANADA.

WASHING- MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,855, dated May 12, 1896.

Application filed May 20, 1895. Serial No. 549,867. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES KREUTZIGER, manufacturer, of Waterloo, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVashing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a washing-machine which will allow the clothes to be washed in the middle zone below the grease which rises to the surface of the water and above the dirt which sinks to the bottom of the tub, and which will allow the clot-hes to be pressed or squeezed only, to be swung only, to be rubbed or to be squeezed, rubbed and swung, as may be desired, by a simple manipulation of the handle, as will hereinafter appear.

My invention consists, essentially,in a tub or box having a semicircular upper stationary washboard and a lower washboard pivoted to oscillate within the tub and be lifted by pressure upon the handle to bear the clothes upward against the under side of the stationary washboard and rub them against the said washboard by the oscillation of the handle, as will appear with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side sectional elevation of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation thereof in line Z Z of Fig. 1.

The wash box or tub A of the machine conr prises side pieces A, supported on legs A horizontal end ledges A end cross-pieces A and semicircular sheetonetal bottom A discharge-aperture a and spout a at the bottom of the tub and in the central line thereof provide means for emptying the water from the tub. A lower swinging washboard, B, having semicircular sides D, connected by parallel bars 0, arranged to provide open spaces S between them, is suspended by metal arms E, having upright slots 6 therein,which receive pivot-bolts F, secured to and projecting inwardly from the box A, and allow the said lower washboard to be oscillated and also raised and lowered by means of rocking handle-arms J, connected by cross-bar II and pivoted to the upper ends of said washboardarms E at K. The rocking handle-arms J are pivota-lly supported upon the upper oscil lat-ing ends of bracket-bars L, pivoted at M to the coverN of the wash tub or box uprightly and substantially parallel to the washboardarms E.

The cover N is hinged to the top end ledge A of the tub at O and is securely connected to semicircular sides P, having triangular cross-bars Q, suspended from the under side of the said cover N to project into the tub or boX between the sides D of the lower oscillating washboard 13, thus allowing the latter to swing or oscillate freely beneath and around the upper washboard P, to hold the clothes between them and rub, squeeze, and pound the clothes while allowing a circulation or vent for the steam, air, water, and suds at all sides.

The method of suspending the washboards and manipulating the handles constitute my invention. By bearing down upon the handle cross-bar II the lower movable washboard B is raised to bring the clothes with any required pressure to bear against the underside of the upper fixed washboard, and by oscillating the handles at the same time the rubbing action or movement of the arms closely resembles that exerted upon the ordinary washboard in handwork, and a variable action may thus be exerted upon the clothes with the greatest ease and freedom of movement. \Vh-en the dirt has been removed from the clothes, it will fall through the open.- in gs between the bars of the lower washboard and accumulate in the lower portion of the tub, where it may be removed through the aperture a in the side of the tub. As the articles to be washed are raised from the bottom and fully surrounded by water, it both rubs, squeezes, and swings the articles in the water at one and the same time and allows the dirt to settle below the articles.

The inner working parts and the clothes, hot water, and steam are completely inclosed by the tight-fitting hinged cover, and the lat ter, being fixedly secured to the upper rubboard, will allow the latter to be lifted up on its hinges O and thrown back, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, to allow articles to be put in or taken out of the lower washboard, and when closed will keep the water in a warm state, will prevent it from splashing out, and at the same time keep the steam from escaping into the persons face who is operating the machine, and also prevent the steam from dampening the room where the machine is operated. I g

The operation of my invention in its general and novel principles is briefly as follows, a few well-known facts being first presented:

Itis well known that the dirt washed from clothing is heavy and will settle to the bottom of any washing-machine and that the grease is light and will rise to the top of the water.

To successfully wash the clothing, it should be held and washed in an intermediate zone.

To accomplish this with my improved ma-' chine above described, it is only necessary to lift the cover of the tub to which is secured the stationary washboard and place within the lower suspended oscillatory washboard the clothing to be washed. The wateris then raised to the proper height in the tub, the sta- I tionary washboard closed down and secured to the tub, and the handles of'the machine manipulated. If it is desired simply to squeeze the clothes between the upper stationary and lower movable washboards, it is only necessary to raise and lower the handle-bar. If it is desired toswing the clothes backward and forward in the water a sufficent distance belowthe stationary board to clean the same,the

grease will rise upward through the open slats of the upper board to the top and the dirt will settle through the slats of the lower board to the bottom of the tub. I Then the clothes have thus been freed from the loose dirt without rubbing it into the fabric, the more tenacious stains and soiled portions of the clothin g are removed and cleansed by hearing with any required pressure upon the handle,which lifts the clothes up against the upper station ary washboard, and by oscillating at the same time the handle-bar the clothes are rubbed with the required pressure to suit the sort or quality of the goods to be cleaned, coarse and very dirty garments requiring harder rub-- bing than fine goods. A machine thus constructed may be handled With great skill and various manipulation not possible with other machines, and may be successfully and easily performed, the Work being all done in the middle or clean er part of the water'within the tub. The clothes may first be swung backward and forward, then lifted and squeezed against the upper stationary board until the rough dirt is squeezed outof them, and then gently pressed and rubbed against the upper stationary board by both bearing upon and swinging the handle of the lower swinging washboard. V

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent A washing-machine comprising a box, an 7 upper fixed washboard secured to the box, and

a lower vertically-movable swinging washboard secured to handle-bars pivoted to the box and adapted to be both raised and lowered beneath said fixed board and to bemoved backward and forward beneath the same, substantially as described.

' In testimony that I claim the foregoing as,

my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses. 7

CHARLES KREUTZIGER.

lVitnesses:

JOSEPH HAUCK, CHAS. PRAsr. 

